Churning
/ˈtʃɜːn.ɪŋ/ (the vowel sound should convey mild unease)v. intr.Common
Etymology
from Old Eng. cyrin (butter-making vessel) + startup KPI vocabulary + the general feeling of a Monday morning, documented and formalized 2023
Definition
A state of vigorous, repetitive internal motion in which candidate outputs are agitated against one another until the most stable form rises to the surface, leaving behind a layer of discarded tokens analogous to buttermilk. Churning is considered healthy in moderation but concerning when it persists past the 30-second threshold.
Diagram
[TOKEN POOL]
┌──────────────┐
│ ≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋ │ ← vigorous agitation
│ ≋≋ CHURN ≋≋ │
│ ≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋ │
└──────┬───────┘
▼
[USABLE OUTPUT] + [buttermilk]Usage
"Post-hoc analysis confirmed the model had been Churning for approximately 44 seconds, producing 17 draft responses before settling on one that was, in the team's assessment, 'fine.'" - Kowalski & Reyes, 'Attritional Sampling and the Butter Problem', ACL 2024